Authorities Name Man Found In Rice Lake

EDEN LAKE TOWNSHIP -- The Stearns County Sheriff's Department has released the name and cause of death for a man who was found in Rice Lake near Paynesville Wednesday evening.

Sheriff's officials say 73-year-old Lee Hackert was found unresponsive in the water, between a pontoon and the pontoon lift at about 6:00 p.m.

Hackert's wife had called authorities to report her husband had gone down to the lake to take a dock out of the water but was no longer able to see him.

Paynesville Police arrived to find Hackert in the water. he was brought to shore and pronounced dead.

An autopsy revealed Hackert died of drowning.